A court in Niger has postponed the decision on lifting the immunity of former President Mohamed Bazoum until June 7th. Bazoum was ousted by the military in July 2023. The court was initially scheduled to deliver the decision on Friday.
Bazoum’s legal team requested the postponement, citing that he was not adequately informed about the ongoing proceedings and that he faced restrictions on freely communicating with his lawyers.
According to Niger’s Bar Association, the postponement until June 7th aims to facilitate an adversarial debate during the trial, ensuring the full protection of the right to defence.
The former president faces accusations of high treason and undermining the security of the country by the ruling military authorities. Following the military coup, Bazoum has been detained at the presidential residence in Niamey alongside his wife.
In February, Bazoum’s lawyers appealed to the Court of Justice of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) to demand his release, as ordered by the court in December.